Editorial: Pathways towards local scale policy integration in agricultural landscapes

Abstract

Population growth and urbanisation are placing increasing pressure upon world food supply. Resource competition (land, water, energy), land acquisition, and social conflicts are linked to these changes and occur at a range of scales (Eakin et al.,2010). Globalisation of technologies and markets can increase efficiency of food production and distribution, but typically involve greater use of intensive production systems, which in turn place high demands upon agricultural ecosystems and landscapes (Haberl et al.,2007; Tilman, Cassman, Matson, Naylor, & Polasky, 2002). These dynamics present a major challenge to landscape policy-makers—how to increase food production, whilst also protecting and enhancing the underlying ecosystems and landscapes which support the production system and provide wider ecosystem services and landscape values for both town and country, such as biodiversity, water, residence,recreation and cultural identity